


Had I Known

by serenitymarie



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Child Abuse, Dark, First Season, Friendship, Gen, Self Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-19
Updated: 2013-03-19
Packaged: 2017-12-05 19:13:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/726934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenitymarie/pseuds/serenitymarie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He might not be the world's best friend, or greatest detective but he could stay up all night in silence all night if that was what Wally needed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Had I Known

**Author's Note:**

> There is talk of character death and attempted suicide so proceed with caution. This was inspired by the song "How to Save a Life" by The Fray

Step one you say we need to talk.

Robin walked into the room where Wally sat, sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall rather than on the bed or in the chair. "Wally. We need to talk."

He was scared when his friend, his best and sometimes it felt like only friend, ignored him. Instead he picked on the bandages on his arm and twitched his foot lightly.

"Wally. Seriously. Look at me." Robin sunk to the floor in front of him. "Please?" it came out pitiful and sad, and for a moment green eyes met blue. But they both looked away.

"Look, Rob. It was a mistake. You're all freaking out too much. Just let me out." Wally's voice was rough – probably from the screaming he had been doing earlier. Still it reminded Dick of his best friend, the person who used to play elaborate tricks with him and mess with the team.

Not the person in front of him who had tried to kill himself. Who broke when nobody realized there was anything wrong with him in the first place.

It was his fault. He knew that. He was the protege of the worlds greatest detectives, and he over-looked the way Wally had bruises and marks that weren't from training and battle. The way his friend would flinch when he touched his arm or spoke too loudly.

And he overlooked the fear that was in Wally's eyes every time he went home to his father. The same father who had physically and mentally abused him his whole life.

The same father who had snapped, pulled a gun on his wife and son. The wife, shot in the neck, died instantly. The shot that was aimed for the son was intercepted by his uncle, throwing himself in front of the boy at meta speeds. Then Rudolph West took his own life.

By the time the police arrived – only moments before Batman and Robin showed up as well, Wally was covered in blood trying to save Barry, with his mother and father's bodies lying on the floor next to them.

Wally tried to slice his own wrists, and end his life two hours later in the Watchtower when his uncle succumbed to his injuries and passed away, the bullet having lodged itself in his heart and the speedsters own healing ability causing his body to lose far too much blood to survive.

Wally had slit fast and deep, and his own accelerated heart beat caused the blood to escape quickly, but they had him sedated and bandaged before he could do any more damage.

And now the entire Justice League was sitting around a table discussing how to deal with an emotionally distraught and potentially mentally unsound teenager who had just lost his parents and uncle in one violent night, and tried to follow them into death.

Bruce had told him he could stay, listen and add to the meeting, but instead he opted to be with Wally. Robin didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to say or talk about, so he let the room dissolve into silence.

He might not be the world's best friend, or greatest detective but he could stay up all night in silence all night if that was what Wally needed.

And I would have stayed up with you all night  
Had I known how to save a life


End file.
